The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-01-19

ex-Commissioner Patten and Congressman
Dingley and Milliken.
The following officers were elected: Jo-
seph Wheeler, of Alabama, PRESIDENT; Cnas'
The executive board includes Ambrose Snow,
of New York, chairman; Joseph 5; Negley,
of Pennsylvania; f. III. Ripley, Vermont,
and Guy G. Goss, Maine.
Mr.. COX improving
Representative Cox rested we'll last night
and his condition is considerably improved
today
Presented by Maine Members.
Representative Reed has presented in the
House memorial of Samuel Coles, asking
for pension.
Representative Dingley presented the pc
tition of w. L. Champney and others OF
Richmond, for national aid to common
schools.
The Eastport Custom House.
The president has approved the bill au-
thorizing the secretary Of the treasury to
sell the custom house at Eastport.
The Fishery Question
Chairman Belmont, of the House commit
ee on foreign affairs, today submitted to the
House report prepared by himself and
unanimously endorsed by the committee on
the Presidents message, concerning the Ca
madam fisheries, and the reply of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury to the House resolution
on the same subject. The report says the
committee has made diligent inquiry into the
whole subject of American fisheries, and is
of the opinion that the rightful area of our
American fisheries has been reduced, and
the quantity of fish-fresh, dried, cured or
salted-landed in the United States free Of
duty, has been diminished by the conduct of
local officers in Canada. That conduct has
been not only in violation of treaty stipula-
tion and of international comfy, but during
the fishing season passed has been inhuman,
as the message of the President clearly es-
tablishes. The committee says the Canadian
Interpretation Of the present legal effect OF
the first article of the treaty Of 1918 is so
preposterous in view of the concerted laws
of comfy and good neighborhood enacted by
mally put forth by the Dominion of Canada
it would not deserve serious consideration by
intelligent persons. The treaty Of 1918 fur
nishes no more excuse for the exclusion Of
deep sea fishermen from the port Of Halifax
or any other open port OF the Dominion
Of Canada than for the exclusion by the
Secretary of the Treasury of deep sea
fishermen from entering the port of New
York according to forms of law and for Ordi-
nary purposes of trade and commerce. The
exclusion If made must be justified, If at all,
for other reasons than any yet given by Can
ada. Under the head of Canadian inhu-
manity' the committee calls attention to the
fact that to all vessels except fishing craft
the Canadian ports seem to belwide open, and
excepted vessels cannot enter Candian Bay
even to bury those of their dead who may
have been British subjects. But for this dis
elimination says the committee tbs Canadian
contention would be logical and more tolera-
BILE. Concerning the right to buy bait the
committe says: Your committee are not
aware of any Canadian or New FOundland
W W biQb a hpan annroVp0
ish Crown f0rbids British subjects to sell ice,
or bait, or anything else to Americans or to
trade with them. If there be such law, then
non intercourse has, to that extent been pro-
claimed against our c0untrymen.
The position taken by the committee is
that the treaty Of 1918 covers differences and
disputes about the liberty of American fish
ermen to take, dry, and cure fish on certain
British North American coasts, bays, har-
bors, and creeks, and that the treaty Is linn
tied to coast fish, drying or curing. The
committee state it has arrived at following
conclusions: The treaties of 1913 and 1878
were made with the British Crown. With
crown alone can restrictions, regulations,
penalties, and measures be concerted by the
United States to enforce and guard their
stipulations. With the Dominion Of Canada
the government at Washington is not called,
or required, or to be expected, either to
deliberate or debate, any more than is the
British crown with separate member OF
exhibiting the legislation by British and
Canadian Parliaments on the subject OF the
fisheries from .1793 down to 1886, when,
says the committee, NEARLY half century
after signing the treaty an offence entirely
in legislation was denounced in the most
cation of everything seized." The report
concludes as follows:
A very serious feature Of this last named
legislation is that it has been approved by
the British Crown and it proclalms non in
tcrcourse in Canada with American fishing
vessels for general purposes Of trade. That
alarming feature your committee has given
careful consideration and is unanimously oil
the opinion that if and so long as non-inter-
course with American fishing vessels shall
be thus maintained in ports or bays of the
Dominion of Canada or New Foundland a
non-intercouse should be Immediately begun
and maintained in our own ports against
Canadian vessels. Those vessels, whether
trading or fishing, have within the meaning
of the 18th section of the law of Congress OF
June 10, 1886, been placed on the same foot
ing in our ports as our vessels clearing and
entering foreign. Canadian vessels are
British vessels The British Crown has de-
MED to American fishing vessels com
national vessels in Canadian ports.
The motive and purpose of such deuial has
been openly and plainly avowed by Canada
to be first, the punishment of such vessels
because the United States leyleS duty on
Canadian fishing, not fresh for immediate
consumption such as the government levies
on all such fish. not the product of American
fisheries and imported from any foreign place
whatever; and secondly, to c0erce the Uni-
ted States to exempt such Canadianfish from
all customs duties and to enter into Other
new reciprocal customs relations with the
Canadian, Dominion and Newfoundland
governments. 1t is policy of threat anC
coercion which in the opinion of your com
mittee should be instantly and summarily
dealt with. The circumstance will warrant
and require, in the opinion of your commit
| tee, not only non-intercourse with Canadian
vessels bringing Canadian or Newfoundlant
| fish to our ports, but the exclusion of sucl
| fish from entry at our ports, whether brough
| by railway cars or by any other vehicle o
| means.
1t is difficult to believe that Canada, haviDl
| within the last twenty years so severely bun
| dened herself with taxes by the construction
| of railways and bridges to bring about cas-,
| communication with Detroit, Chicago, ST
| Paul, and the whole west of our country, a
| well as with New York and Boston, will nov
deliberately and Extensively pursue a polio
| toward our fishermen which, If persisted in
| can but end in suspension of commercial in
| tercOurse by land and sea between her an
| ourselves, or consequences even more grave.
| The committee advise the enactment of a bill
| for the appointment of commission to in
| vestigate concerning losses and injuries in
| fiicted since December 81, 1885, on Unite
| States citizens engaged in the North Amerl
can fisheries.
XLlXth CONGRESS- SECOND SESSION